


when it rains

by babydeathclaw



Category: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-11-17 23:52:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11279376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babydeathclaw/pseuds/babydeathclaw
Summary: A snapshot of an uncomfortable relationship. Sebastian LaCroix knows he is Nines Rodrigeuz's biggest mistake. Even the dead need company.





	when it rains

**Author's Note:**

> Genuinely surprised at how little I've found of them. Sometimes if you want two vampires to fuck, you gotta do it yourself.
> 
> I'm an honest sucker for people being nice but also sad and fucked up. Sorry if you came here looking for something angrier, I just want the pretty boy to be sad.

Sebastian liked Ventrue Tower for many reasons, but perhaps his favourite reason was that he was always the first to know when it rained.

The water on the window fragmented L.A. It was the lights – the lights didn’t know what to do with the rain, used to having to cut through nothing in the night sky. The rain was almost nervous, sometimes hitting the streets below like a sharp whisper, but up here, Sebastian knew it first.

Sebastian rolled over and went very still when his hand brushed against Nines. The other vampire didn’t move or make a sound.

“It’s dark out. You should go,” Sebastian said.

A couple of seconds hummed in the air between them, a wind whipping the rain at the glass. Nines turned to look at Sebastian. He was all rough terrain and hands that looked like they belonged on a firefighter, or a cowboy. But his eyes were ice blue, cold and dead and the only thing about him that screamed _vampire_. Sebastian was lost the minute he looked into them.

“M’ still rising. Gimme a minute,” Nines grunted into the pillow. He didn’t take his eyes off Sebastian for a second, and Sebastian had given up on trying to decipher the turmoil in them. Was it need? Distrust? Anger? Self-hatred? He didn’t know. He felt pathetic, how he tried to have any semblance of control here, when every part of him was screaming for Nines to stay.

Nines closed his eyes again and Sebastian felt relief. He spread his palm on the cool, silky sheets, running over the wrinkles and stains of the past couple weeks. He ran his hand all the way up to where they were sitting on Nines’ hips, ignoring the bones and taunt skin and the way the hairs on his stomach curled in a perfect downward whirlwind. Admitting he thought Nines was beautiful was the easy part. Admitting anything else about their situation was harder.

They’d been sleeping together for only a few weeks. Neither of them were young enough for that to count as a significant amount of time, but it didn’t matter. Time stopped with Nines’ hands around Sebastian’s throat. He was young again; fresh blood, naked, and the world held more secrets than he cared to learn. He’d look up at Nines, who, for a couple moments, was as lost in it as Sebastian was – and then Nines would finish and it would be over, his group on Sebastian’s neck would loosen, he’d touch the skin as if to apologize for something.

It was the worst kind of relationship. Not only in that it wasn’t a relationship, but that it made Sebastian realize how completely and utterly devastated his sire had left him.

“Nines,” Sebastian said, sitting up in an attempt to find his voice again. To figure out how to speak like he was someone worth listening to. “You must go. It’s well into the night.” He tried to justify himself.

Lazy, loafing Anarch idiot. Lounging the night away in _his_ bed.

For a second he could remind himself. Nines Rodriguez, the biggest blight on L.A.’s beautiful, rotted downtown – of course Sebastian wanted him out of his bed. There just weren’t many Kindred in this city one could turn to for something primal, something weaker than the Beast. Nines was a means to a selfish end, as he should be.

But then a hand slid across Sebastian’s waist and pulled him closer, back down into the sheets and he was drowning. Nines dragged his lips across Sebastian’s neck, fangs hovering over where his heartbeat would’ve been in life. He pressed down just long enough to remind him.

“What, you ashamed of me or something?” A playful growl. Sebastian closed his eyes and inhaled and the smell was just… everywhere. Nines pushed Sebastian down by the shoulders and got on top of him, sliding his leg between Sebastian’s thighs.

“I have to –“

“Do what? Talk up the rest of your Cammy friends about how good it feels to be on top of L.A. and forget to tell them who’s been on top of you?” And Nines still knew how to piss him off, too. Sebastian bared his teeth like it would make any difference and Nines smirked, kissing the corners of his mouth like it was cute.

“I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want me, you know that?” he said, softer. He was thrusting lazily against Sebastian’s hip, eyes half-hooded and smiling, completely satisfied with how this was going. But his voice was still gentle, reassuring. Before – when there had been more biting, more of a fight before Sebastian inevitably let himself get fucked, Nines had been constantly stopping _just to make sure_. Sebastian had spent a lot of time and bite marks making it perfectly clear that he didn’t need to make sure, thank you very much, he just needed to get on with it. But still – Nines always seemed to find a way of asking.

“It’s not that I don’t-“

“I know, I know. I’m just an inconvenience.” Nines dragged his hand up Sebastian’s side, to his chest, lightly fingering his nipple and leaving wet kisses on his neck. “I’m just going to be an inconvenience for a little longer.”

He kissed all the way up Sebastian’s neck to his jaw, biting and scraping his teeth across it till Sebastian whined and gripped Nines’ thighs tightly between his own. So weak. So fucking weak that all it took was Nines getting him in the right position and he’d just let it happen. He could feel the Brujah smiling against him like he’d planned this all along.

Sebastian, in a fit of anger, grabbed Nines by the hair and dragged his mouth to Sebastian’s, where it rightfully should’ve been. Nines didn’t complain.

They kissed until Sebastian was hard and needy, whining softly as he could because he had a reputation, god damn it, he’d whisper if he had to because he barely wanted to hear this himself. Nines kept peppering his face and neck with the smallest kisses, pressing Sebastian back flat onto the bed with his palm and then reaching down to gently stroke his dick. He moved his head to suck on Sebastian’s nipple, and Sebastian thanked him by thrusting against his hand.

“You know, I think I appreciate you most like this,” Nines said, once he’d pulled his mouth away. He looked down at Sebastian all satisfied, his hair messy and his throat tight with a thirst that left Sebastian reeling. “Letting yourself get fucked. Wanting to get fucked. I love it. I’m so glad I found this out about you, LaCroix. It's the only thing that makes you bearable.”

Sebastian gave a low growl, the seriousness of it surprising even himself. Nines groaned.

“That’s so hot,” he whispered. “What will it take to have you do it again? I love it when you lose it. Sexually or – or like that. I love watching everything you’ve built come undone. I could stay here forever.”

“You like this too much,” Sebastian snapped. But even he could hear how desperate he was. He still wasn’t touching himself, or Nines. He was trying to hold out, but Nines kept gently spreading his legs and looking at the nightstand where the almost-empty bottle of lubricant was sitting in a puddle of its own contents. Nines was so god damn _messy_.

“I’m aware,” Nines said, leaning down and taking his hands off Sebastian, his face inches from the Ventrue’s and his body arched to keep them from touching. “And I know you do as well. Now will you lay down and let me fuck you like we both want to, or are you going to play big bad Camarilla prince again? Because I don’t have to be here.”

It took Sebastian half a second of glaring to give up. He let Nines turn him over and press a finger to his lips. Sebastian sucked on each of Nines’ fingers as he was given them, ending with the thumb, which he swiped his tongue over until Nines pulled away to pick up the lube.

“You’re good to me, you know that?” Nines whispered, and Sebastian buried his face in the pillow once he hear the bottle being squeezed. Nines took a finger, pressing it in all the way to the knuckle and then fucking him gently. “You’d spit on me from your high horse if we met on the street but right here, right now, you’re going to ride my cock like it’s the only thing sustaining you.”

“Shut up,” Sebastian growled again, and Nines punished him for that.

 _I’d never tell_. That had been his mantra, every time he climbed out of bed after a night wasted with Nines Rodriguez. _Neither would he. Who would believe him? I barely believe it myself._

Nines Rodriguez was very real, pressing his cheek against the small of Sebastian’s back, and he wasn’t afraid to bite. Sebastian – Sebastian would never admit it, but he got a thrill from the way Nines would sink his teeth into the prince’s thigh, suck a little, and lick it over, as if to say _mine._

Nines turned him onto his back and pulled Sebastian’s legs over his shoulders, leaning over him. Sebastian did everything he could to keep staring at the ceiling, and not at Nines’ jaw or hands or his ribcage. All the parts of Nines that came together to make him seem so irresistible to Sebastian – noncompliant and angry and powerful. Nines wanted this, and he was, despite who _they_ were, a good and gentle lover.

Everything in between this moment and when they finished, Nines laying himself onto Sebastian’s chest and scratching his fingers against his skin, was the easy part. It was easy to pretend to be vulnerable for a while.

Nines sounded good, that was half the problem. After he started fucking Sebastian he stopped saying so many words and started whispering things instead, mostly moaning about how good this felt and how he’d fuck Sebastian any night he wanted, he just had to ask.

And Sebastian always did ask. Not in so many words, but he let Nines Rodriguez into the building and into bed with him and then he let this happen, because he wanted it to happen.

Sebastian would never get over how it felt when Nines came.

“I’m gonna come,” he whispered, one hand going up to Sebastian’s head to grab onto his hair, tugging it back so he could press his teeth into Sebastian’s neck. Sebastian let out a quiet wail when he felt Nines finishing inside him, his cock as deep as it could go, hips rolling with the last few thrusts. Then Nines rubbed a thumb across Sebastian’s wrist, the only acknowledgement either of them made before they pulled away from one another.

And then back to silence. It was the dark of night – there was no going back to sleep, not after this. Sebastian needed a shower, to wash Nines off and out of him, and Nines needed to go away. They’d been doing this for too long to not understand how to navigate the aftermath, but neither of them were very good at being old and bitter and self-destructive.

Sebastian looked over at Nines, who was watching the window, probably trying to pull together the strength to make his awkward and uncomfortable exit. The light refracted by rain was stretching across his face, making shadows out of his mouth and eyes. Nines slowly drew himself into a sitting position, and Sebastian felt a deep and disturbing stab of loneliness. It was only ever sex, wasn't it? Trying to fill and figure out the space between them.

He rolled over onto his side, grabbing Nines’ wrist with more ferocity than intended. Nines jerked it away, opening his mouth as if to say something, but then he didn’t.

“My sire was the first,” Sebastian said. It was the first thing that came to mind.

“What?”

“My sire,” he said, then his voice left him. _What are you doing? Kick him out. Throw him out into the rain where he belongs_. “Was the first. To have me, I mean.”

Nines’ stare was almost uncomfortable. Nines’ eyes put meaning to the words ‘piercing blue’ – uncomfortable and cold and icy, betrayed only by the way his eyes formed wrinkles when he smiled. Right now, though, he was looking at Sebastian with his eyebrows knit together, mouth opening and closing like he didn’t know what to say.

“I miss having that,” Sebastian went on. He found Nines’ wrist again and held it, as gently as he could. “I don’t trust a single member of the Camarilla enough to let them have me. I don’t trust anyone to let them have me. The Sheriff refused when I asked. I only have you.”

“What are you asking me?” Nines asked quietly. “To stay?”

“I-“ Sebastian said, pushing himself up by the elbows. Nines was staring at him with a kind of grim ferocity – like he had a duty, a terrible burden.

“I don’t like this,” Nines told him blankly. “I like the sex. I don’t like you. That’s why I don’t feel bad about fucking you. Because if I wind up hurting you, you’ll deserve it.”

Sebastian closed his eyes.

He wasn’t surprised, and it didn’t necessarily hurt. The splatter of rain remained eerily persistent, like the sky was determined to drench the highest buildings as much as possible while it still had water to give.

Nines made a sound of disgust. With who, Sebastian couldn’t tell.

“I hate that I’m still here,” he said, and Sebastian felt the bed sink again as he lay down. He opened his eyes. Nines was staring at him, and his eyes were so blue, so incredibly vivid and immediate and unnatural. They were the most deadly thing about him. “Not for you. For me. You got it? You don’t deserve me. I’m doing this because I hate myself, or something.”

Sebastian wanted to smile. He really wanted to, for some reason, even though he had nothing to be happy about. Nines grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him down, so his face was against Nines’ chest. He kept one hand in his hair, fingers tugging light reminders into his scalp. Sebastian barely dared to breath, only tapped out an irregular pattern against Nines’ hip with his fingers, trying to stay one step ahead of the rain against his window.

Then he waited. The end of any wet spell was inevitable – he knew, from experience, that there were places in the world where it could rain for what might be forever, where half a Kindred’s existence could be spent in the cold and wet, lush life choking out a city. Here, scraping out a kingdom in LA, they took what they could.

Nines’ arms tightened around Sebastian’s waist, pulling him in closer. He kissed Sebastian’s forehead, the simple gesture as much of an act of surrender that either of them would give. Sebastian’s tapping fingers stilled, half afraid that Nines would pull away. But he didn’t.

“I’ll go when it dries up,” Nines said finally. “No point in getting wet.”

Sebastian nodded, laying his hand flat against Nines’ chest where his heart might’ve been. Lips pressed against his forehead again; Nines was inhaling, softly, smelling Sebastian.

“I think it smells nice after it rains,” Sebastian said quietly. “It makes the city feel fresher. Don’t you think so? It makes this city easier to like.”

Nines stayed quiet for a very long time. He was so quiet that maybe Sebastian thought he’d overstepped a boundary – it was neither violent nor intimate, and neither of them knew what to do with that normalcy.

“I don’t know,” he said finally, and Sebastian could relax again. “I don’t find it that hard to love LA. It hurts to be here, but you couldn’t make me leave.”

 _I know_ , Sebastian wanted to say. _I’ve tried_.

Nines’ eyes were closed, and when Sebastian was sure he wasn’t paying attention, he reached up and ran his thumb across Nines’ lips, feeling how soft and cold they were.

 _I’m glad you stayed_ , Sebastian mouthed, hidden by the broken light. Nines’ eyelashes flickered, but he did not move from where he lay.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Sasha beholdatimemachine for the editing help!


End file.
